The end of the rainy season is approaching earlier than normal in various parts of the country. However, due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, players are adapting differently to the temperature rise compared to other years, causing the risk of heatstroke to increase for the players. Under such circumstance, we invited physical fitness project member, Mr. NAKAMURA Daisuke, as a lecturer to hold a webinar titled, “Precautions against heat in football,” from Thursday 15 to Monday 20 July.

More than 300 coaches participated in this series of refresher courses. Through the lectures, the participants learned the mechanism of heatstroke and preventive measures based on scientific data. The physical fitness project will continue to hold periodic refresher courses on themes required for active coaches.

*The refresher course was originally scheduled to be held from 12 July, but the schedule was changed due to JFA's inadequacy. We apologise for the inconvenience we caused to the participants.

Lecturer’s Comment

NAKAMURA Daisuke, Physical fitness project member
When hearing “precautions against heat,” some may think about ways to enhance performances, but as coaches, we must prioritise the health and safety of our players and protect them from heatstroke. However, the two goes hand to hand, as taking measures against heatstroke, is also effective in maintaining performance in the heat. At this seminar, I tried to address questions such as, “why do we need to conduct precautions against heat?” and “what happens in our body when they are performed?” based on scientific data. Even if you know that hydration and body cooling are good for you, you may not understand what is actually happening physiologically. By having a perspective on what kind of physiological benefits are being obtained, it allows you to understand the precautions against heat in a more practical sense. We hope that this seminar will help everyone practice evidence-based precautions against heat.

Participants’ Comments

Mr. UEDA Shinya
Thank you for explaining precautions against heat in an easy-to-understand and detailed manner using the data published in academic journals. The lecturer gave us thorough answers to our questions, which allowed us to obtain practical knowledge about precautions against heat.

Mr. SATO Tetsuya
Heatstroke measures and precautions against heat were taught in a very easy-to-understand manner, from theoretical aspects to practical aspects, such as how each team and national team are implementing them. Especially with the Tokyo Olympics being held, I was able to find out what kind of measures are taken during the Olympics, giving me a new perspective on the Olympic games. As the environment changes (global warming, extreme heat, etc.), I think the course provided essential information for us to enjoy playing and coaching football safely. This course is held every year, so I will continue to participate in this course for my own education, but above all, for the safety of the players.

Mr. ARITA Masayuki
Many questions were raised during the course, which showcased the high degree of interest regarding heatstroke. Mr. Nakamura's lecture was based on scientific data, but it was taught in a very easy-to-understand manner. I would have loved to hear his experiences at actual tournaments he accompanied to gain more practical insights.